Tour de France 2020 | Stage 4 (Sisteron – Orcières-Merlette, 160.5 km)

[Gigs_98]

I don't really get why people are complaining. This stage was always gonna be like this and I don't even think that's a bad thing. People have to realize that gt routes only have a certain amount of high mountain stages and if they had made this one a proper mountain stage we would probably have fewer in the next two weeks. Meanwhile I prefer a stage like this over a flat out bunch sprint because at least it's something different. At least today we could wonder about whether Roglic or Alaphilippe are gonna win and not Ewan or Bennett.

 

[Red Rick]

About 15 seconds behind the group

At last, Valverde loses time on purpose to go into breakaways.

 

[RedheadDane]

Someone please translate the timing-thingy here.

46

KWIATKOWSKI Michał

INEOS Grenadiers

-4:07:47

Kwiatkowski - and a whole bunch of others - actually finished four hours before everyone else?

 

[Brullnux]

It's quite a classic stage 4-6 uphill finish. We've seen it in the Giro countless times (Montevergine, monte cassino, abetone, roccaraso, lago laceno, sestola), and while the Tour has had it less (le lioran), that's because it normally has no gc stages in the first five days, outside of the seemingly biennal la planche des billes filles.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Danish commentator Rolf Sørensen was speechless on stage 2 and stage 4 and thought the peloton would explode by the mere sight of any climbs. Seems he was mistaken and isnt quite the expert on cycling lol

Very predictable finish, I really hope the Pyrenees will be good, otherwise this Tour will be as a I feared

 

[Red Rick]

I don't really get why people are complaining. This stage was always gonna be like this and I don't even think that's a bad thing. People have to realize that gt routes only have a certain amount of high mountain stages and if they had made this one a proper mountain stage we would probably have fewer in the next two weeks. Meanwhile I prefer a stage like this over a flat out bunch sprint because at least it's something different. At least today we could wonder about whether Roglic or Alaphilippe are gonna win and not Ewan or Bennett.

Literally the only thing you can really complain about is that it's a climb that's flat in the last 500m.

Alternatively, you could have a different sort of stage 4 mountain stage, but it's not gonna be anything crazy. Unless you want Etna stage 4 and we've seen what happens on stage 4 Etna.

That said, La Vuelta having the hardest stages so early last year was actually really refreshing with the final easier mountain stages being ridden really aggressively.

 

[luckyboy]

I don't really get why people are complaining. This stage was always gonna be like this and I don't even think that's a bad thing. People have to realize that gt routes only have a certain amount of high mountain stages and if they had made this one a proper mountain stage we would probably have fewer in the next two weeks. Meanwhile I prefer a stage like this over a flat out bunch sprint because at least it's something different. At least today we could wonder about whether Roglic or Alaphilippe are gonna win and not Ewan or Bennett.

Yes it was a terrible stage and everybody knew it would be. The stage finish yesterday was more interesting. The hours before the finish were as boring as cycling can be really.

 

[ppanther92]

I would wonder what Roglic would have been like on a proper climb. He didn't look too dominant there, his team did a good job but i would have thought he would have won more convincingly. Still recovering from his injuries. Not an out and out favourite for me, yet.

Two things:
Local media already said a few days after the Dauphine that he is able to train totally normal (https://www.rtvslo.si/sport/kolesar...roglic-je-zadnje-dni-normalno-treniral/534236).
And he won easily today.
So, at least for me, there is no reason to believe that he is not on his absolute top level. All this talking down is usual for favourites or their teams.

 

[Red Rick]

Danish commentator Rolf Sørensen was speechless on stage 2 and stage 4 and thought the peloton would explode by the mere sight of any climbs. Seems he was mistaken and isnt quite the expert on cycling lol

Very predictable finish, I really hope the Pyrenees will be good, otherwise this Tour will be as a I feared

I suspect the Pyrenees will be a snoozefest and the Alps will be anyone but Jumbo doing a few hail mary's and praying for a miracle.

Sadly I think the 2 hardest stages are still only about the MTF.

 

[bob.a.feet]

It looks like only Buchmann ( ) is the one of the favourites who has really been affected by their crash, all the rest look right where they should be. Pogacar looks like he'll be a force to be reckoned with in this race. Good ride from Quintana, he could be flying in the third week.

Stage 6 is the next test in the battle for yellow.

 

[ppanther92]

I hope Ala gives up on the next mountain stage and doesn't destroy his season like last year. After losing some time he could win a couple more stages.

I don't think he really destroyed his season last year with his Tour run. But this year he doesn't seem that he is able to replicate it and he also hadn't won Amy hing besides the Tour stage. So yes, shouldgo to win some stages.

 

[dicanio_michael]

I hope Ala gives up on the next mountain stage and doesn't destroy his season like last year. After losing some time he could win a couple more stages.

His season was bettered by holding 14 days of yellow jersey. That gave him massive media coverage.

He was aiming at Spring and Tour de France last year, not the end of the season anyway.

 

[HelloDolly]

What I learnt is this

Roglic is almost impossible to beat on stages like this esp with such a fast train

Bernal didn't look great and Carapaz i s probably spitting feathers he was not left to ride th Giro

Very happy with Landa,Quintana and Pinot who dont excel lon this kind of finish...looking good for the high mountains

 

[JosephK]

Kuss looked pretty good there as Roglic's chauffeur.

 

[RedheadDane]

Danish commentator Rolf Sørensen was speechless on stage 2 and stage 4 and thought the peloton would explode by the mere sight of any climbs. Seems he was mistaken and isnt quite the expert on cycling lol

As they've frequently pointed out; good thing he's not a DS! His plan every day would just be "ATTAAAAAAAAAAAACK!" "But, Rolf... it's a TT..."

 

[Gigs_98]

I would wonder what Roglic would have been like on a proper climb. He didn't look too dominant there, his team did a good job but i would have thought he would have won more convincingly. Still recovering from his injuries. Not an out and out favourite for me, yet.

Nah, don't think the injuries affect him at all. He looked really strong today. His final kilometre push was as amazing as it has ever been though that of course still doesn't answer the question of how strong he'll be in the high mountain stages. I've been a Roglic critic myself a few times but looking at Bernal and Dumoulin who seemed to suffer more than they probably should he doesn't look bad for the gc right now.

 

[Red Rick]

Today was just a Slovenian nats with spectators on bikes

 

[dicanio_michael]

I don't really get why people are complaining. This stage was always gonna be like this and I don't even think that's a bad thing. People have to realize that gt routes only have a certain amount of high mountain stages and if they had made this one a proper mountain stage we would probably have fewer in the next two weeks. Meanwhile I prefer a stage like this over a flat out bunch sprint because at least it's something different. At least today we could wonder about whether Roglic or Alaphilippe are gonna win and not Ewan or Bennett.

Well said. In previous years, a stage four could likely be a flat sprint. And even it is a higher MTF, it is not likely any favourites will try to race as hard as Week 3.

Most importantly, it is designed for Alaphilippe to keep his yellow jersey a little longer for French pride.

 

[Red Rick]

To add some fuel to the fire of the topic from earlier. Watching this stage I'd argue Van Aert is a lot more likely to become a TdF winner than Alaphilippe.

Jumbo looked pretty scary today. Bennett is still recovering, Dumoulin did 0 work for Roglic, and they still controlled everything.

 

[bambino]

Most surprised about Nairo. He might actually become the wild card for the win.

 

[BlueRoads]

They might have planned the route as the perfect set-up for Pinot and Alaphilippe, but thereby accidentally made it a perfect Slovenian holiday route...

 

[Ktarie]

Buchmann got a 7 sec gap. No in shape.

Buchmann lost 5s. Don´t think they dropped anyone else.

And german media mentioned a gap of 9 sec for Buchmann.^^

Maybe a little too much, to just explain it with a lack of explosiveness on a stage like this... we will see soon.

 

[jaylew]

9 of the 16 in the front group were Colombian or French.

 

[Gigs_98]

Jumbo looked pretty scary today. Bennett is still recovering, Dumoulin did 0 work for Roglic, and they still controlled everything.

Not that Dumoulin could have done any work for Roglic that wasn't done by another teammate anyway.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Dumoulin would not have worked for Roglic regardless. Don't forget he's not here as a luxury domestique like Ain and Dauphine. He is here as co-leader. Which means unless he's really out of the GC fight, he won't pull.